VELKÉ MEZIŘÍČÍ JEWISH QUARTER

Jews settled in Velké Meziříčí probably as early as the 15th century, when Jews were expelled from the royal towns, but the first documented arrival was a Jew called Joseph in 1636. Jews used the areas that had been depopulated as a result of the Thirty Years' War. Over time, the Jewish community became the second largest in the Jihlava region. The fee waiver also helped.

At the end of the 18th century there were almost 900 Jewish inhabitants and later over one thousand. The decline came at the end of the 19th century due to the Hilsner affair in Polná. Hilsner’s family found refuge in the old synagogue in the vicinity of Velké Meziříčí, which caused more demonstrations and riots.

The buildings of the Jewish town are Gothic-Renaissance and have been threatened by fire many times. The houses were located on the right bank of the Oslava River from Vrchlický Street to the Moráňská fortifications. To this day, 63 buildings have survived, including two synagogues. Many houses have preserved Renaissance and Baroque layouts, internal passages and interesting architectural details. The buildings in the ghetto were mainly used for housing on their upper levels, while the ground floors were used for shops and craftsmen's workshops. There were also institutional buildings, such as the municipal office, the rabbi's flat and the synagogue caretaker's flat.

Photo: City of Velké Meziříčí